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Published on: December 18, 2012
Unilateral Posterior Interstitial Keratitis as a Clinical Presentation of Herpes Simplex Virus Disease
Asim V Farooq1, Grace L Paley2, Anthony J Lubniewski2
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Purpose:
To describe a case series of patients with unilateral, posterior interstitial keratitis presumed to be caused by herpes simplex virus.
Methods:
Retrospective case series.
Results:
Five patients were found to have unilateral, posterior interstitial keratitis. Three of the involved eyes had decreased corneal sensation, and 2 eyes had corneal stromal neovascularization. All patients were treated with topical steroids and an oral antiviral, and among those with long-term follow-up, clinical improvement required treatment over an extended duration. A review of the literature revealed 1 reported case with a similar clinical appearance, although that case was attributed to Lyme disease.
Conclusions:
The clinical presentation of unilateral, posterior interstitial keratitis may be a rare manifestation of herpes simplex virus keratitis.
